After 19 years in the Royal Marines, Lee Barrett certainly knows how to whip the boys into shape.

But what about the girls? Well, he's about to find out.

The Colour Sergeant, 38, currently based at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in Lympstone, Devon, has swapped blokey banter for babes in bikinis, landing a job that will make him the envy of men all over Britain: training the contestants entering the Miss Galaxy Universe UK beauty and fitness competition.

Royal Marine Lee Barrett surrounded by the Miss Galaxy Universe UK contestants he is helping to train using his rigorous marine drills

Barrett, who juggles rigorous military
training and duties with the girls, said: 'I've been used to working in a
all-male environment so this is certainly a turn-up for the books'

And the six-time medal-winning recruit - who has served on the front line in Iraq, as well as in Kosovo and Northern Ireland - is using his tough marine training to do it.

Barrett, who juggles rigorous military training and duties with his girls, said: 'I've been used to working in a all-male environment so this is certainly a turn-up for the books.'

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His tough training includes gruelling four-hour stints of sprints, press ups and sit ups in the gym.

Colour Sergeant Lee Barrett, left, with friend and former Royal Marine Paul Hunt at Remembrance Day on November 2011 in Huntingdon, England

The Colour Sergeant, 38, currently based at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in Lympstone, Devon, has
swapped blokey banter for babes in bikinis, landing a job that will
make him the envy of men all over Britain: training contestants entering
the Miss Galaxy Universe UK beauty and fitness competition

He and his colleagues have also given
the girls a taste of the real Royal Marine training - putting them
through their paces with leopard crawls and tough beach runs.

He got involved with Miss Galaxy
Universe after a chance meeting with contest organiser Sarah Donohue -
who he recognised as a former pin-up in Soldier Magazine.

Lee, who is dating a former Miss
Galaxy Universe contestant, said: 'I get a bit of stick from the lads at
the barracks. A lot of them are very jealous'

After hearing about his credentials, Sarah signed Lee up to help with training. Lee, who is dating a former Miss
Galaxy Universe contestant, said: 'I get a bit of stick from the lads at
the barracks. A lot of them are very jealous.

'Funnily enough, I'm never short of a volunteer or two from the regiment to help me out with training.

He added: 'It's fantastic working with
the girls. They're really tough cookies and really do well during the
exercises. I call them my little Tonka toys because they're unbreakable.

'It's nice to be in the presence of such strong women - and it's nice to be surrounded by pretty faces for a change.'

Lee Barrett on the front line with Lima Company 42 Commando at the Rumaila oil fields on April 2003 in Rumaila, Iraq

Barrett says he isn't going to be easy on the girls, pictured here training at a gym in Canary Wharf, London, but is going to get them working as hard as marines do

Color Sergeant Lee Barrett with contestants from the Miss Galaxy Universe competition on October 2012 in Alban Arena